The Yorkies' Regular Features

Monday, October 27, 2014

The final match of a losing season is often used by football clubs as a chance to try a few different things and give a few youngsters a run-out as a prelude to brighter days. Supporters can often find crumbs of solace in these displays to warm them through the off-season. TFC finished their losing season (8 in a Series of 30) with another thrilling night of VanneyBall (TM) and left the supporters with these great morsels of optimism as we head towards 2015...

Saturday, October 25, 2014

Look at that. Seattle just won the supporters shield. Hard to believe that they've only been in the league for 14 years. It would be embarassing if they had only been around for, say, 6 seasons.

I love the notion of sitting at home and jealously pining over the other clubs in the league. I just want to taste success. Not because being a day-one season ticket holder, but because it's been long enough. Far too long.

Aside from tearing open a wound that has yet to heal, it was nice to see supporters celebrating something other than beating Columbus or pizza for a row.

I'm looking to enjoy this match and the best way to ensure that is to see Lee Nguyen smash a brace, Fagundez bag one, and see Sea-Green Bunbury get sent off for something trivial. And also to see more unnecessary cliches from Vanney. Wouldn't be a tradition without it.

Onto the "match":

9' - Gilberto nearly bags a classic as Oduro crosses one in from out of bounds (gridlines) and scissors one that richochets off the crossbar.

17' - Lovitz takes a cross, marauds into the box and lets a good shot fly, stopped by the keeper. Adventurous. I like.

36' - GOAL - Nguyen bags one on a clear off-side through ball and now the traditional 'red shirts circling the ref' moment of the game. Nice goal, but it shouldn't happen.

@ignirtoq is relieved that this season can now have its plug pulled, and can be rid of himself of this team for a season. If time heals all wounds, and talking opens them, it's only a matter of time before someone from TFC says something to remind him how much bullshit he's taken all season

Monday, October 20, 2014

Disclaimer: This article is written on the likely naive assumption that Toronto FC will not completely dissolve the current squad and start all over again. Again.

There really wasn't a reason for us to add to the plethora of TFC vs. Montreal post-mortems that are already out there. It is what it is and that is bad. We fully expected The Reds to torture us further by extending their pathetic "mathematically still in it" pandering a week longer but at least we were spared that. It was obvious a month ago this team was not going to the post-season; so we move on. Again.

Looking to next year is an annual tradition with Toronto FC - we have now heard eight versions of how next year will be different. The lather, rinse, repeat phrase going into Season Nine from our venerable TFC "leadership" seems to be "we have a good solid core group" going forward. Great! That sounds solid and stuff... right?

TFC supporters have been sold many bold promises in the past but is this one any different? Has some kind of long-term foundation actually been set? Judgments like these are of course quite subjective so we can only offer what we feel and with that, we venture to look forward to the near future. Is TFC's "core group" a hard chewy centre or more of a gooey middle? Splitting the team into broad sections, we pop 2015 into our mouth and consider the likely candidates that The Vanney Pack would consider hard-"core".

GOALKEEPERS

Little trouble here as Joe Bendik is a solid, if not spectacular, minder. A good shot-stopper on par with most of his peers in MLS. His distribution is still sub-standard at times and his penchant for booting the ball as hard and far as possible needs improvement but in the grand scheme of TFC ills this isn't critical. He won't win you too many matches alone but nor will he lose too many. It is fair to consider Super Pickle Joe as a solid piece... even if he does make nearly the same amount of money now as Stefan Frei.

DEFENDERS

While this was touted as an area of vast improvement this season, it was also an area that had the most glaring holes when absences exposed its lack of depth. The utterly reliable Justin Morrow (who is this site's club MVP for 2014) is about as close to a "solid MLS" defender as we've seen in Toronto. At 27-years-old, we should hope to see TFC retain Morrow for a few seasons.

In the middle is where things seem far more fragile. You simply cannot underestimate club Captain Steven Caldwell's veteran influence over the young charges around him. His lengthy spell on the injured-list ushered in a period of defensive miscues that helped the club usher Ryan Nelsen out the door. That being said, Caldwell himself had a few nightmare moments this season and his aging body battered by his robust style will probably only be effective for one more season.

Nick Hagglund and Doneil Henry are good, young, raw pieces whose trajectories went on a roller-coaster ride this season. Hagglund seems to have the basic tools and physicality to become a solid MLS defender but needs the mental and tactical seasoning that only experience delivers. Using his amount of minutes played as an indication of readiness is likely a fallacy as it was injuries and shallow depth that forced his usage. A future core member perhaps, however he would not yet be considered as such on most other MLS clubs.

As for Doneil Henry, the big Brampton-native continues his enigmatic path to somewhere. The season started with him looking like the permanent apprentice to Caldwell yet he kept finding ways to stumble in the eyes of his managers. While we are all aware of the knack Henry has for making the wrong decision at the exact moment the spotlight shines on him, the amount of vitriol aimed at him has been misplaced. There remains the prospect of a solid defender there. However, if whispers are to be believed, his future may not be in Toronto FC red whether you believe him to be a piece of the core or not.

The supporting cast of defenders such as Warren Creavalle, Mark Bloom and Ashtone Morgan range anywhere between useful depth and expansion draft fodder. Some great pieces to hang onto for the bench but by no means should they be mistaken for integral members of a club's foundation. This part of the pitch will need considerable reinforcement.

MIDFIELDERS

We will mention Michael Bradley first as he is obviously the be-all-and-end-all of what Toronto FC is building around. A dominant force when he is at his best, the American international is obviously the lynchpin for the club. While his play has not been up to his standard for stretches this season, it has to be remembered that he went from a half-season with Roma starting in July 2013, relocating his life to Toronto in January and straight into pre-season followed by a full MLS schedule. Oh, and a World Cup thrown in for good measure. Sorry to fans who just signed up but Michael Bradley is not going to be the DP who "scorz goalz" - he has other duties. Now, to just find a manager who knows how to use him properly.

After Bradley is where things get less certain. Are there truly any other rock-solid core-group midfielders ready to line-up with him? We don't mean the interchangeable pieces that come and go - we mean guys you build a future around. The tough answer for us is "no" with one asterisk in Jonathan Osorio. The young Canadian suffered a very inconsistent year and failed to find the magic of his rookie outing in 2013. Sophomore jinx? Adapting to new faces? All possibilities but there is something there in Osorio worth holding on to. Developing him as the foil to Bradley will be important but 2015 will need to be a far more consistent outing for him or patience will run thin.

The rest of the midfield is about as unbalanced as the formations they are often lined up in. Dwayne De Rosario has sadly reached the point where any kind of use will be minimal IF he returns for another swan song. Dominic Oduro, as he has done at all of his past clubs, has reached the point where the initial excitement has worn off leaving only a track sprinter with funny hair and a concrete boot finish. Collen Warner and Jackson are short-term depth pieces with little in long-term future development outside of blunt force. The remaining options are either very young Academy products or have joined the "TFC Disappeared". Also, Kyle Bekker.

The unbalanced, unfocused and tactically mystifying midfield may be one of the areas on the club where there is the least amount of foundation upon which to build. While there are individual pieces that some MLS clubs would find useful, there are few that any other club would point to as any type of building-block. The service they provided to the next section of players is a testament to that.

FORWARDS

There is no third of the pitch at TFC that enters the off-season under a bigger shroud of uncertainty. Ironically it is the main focus of the attack that is most clear in regards to his future. The bloody big deal himself (we too will be happy to stop using that term) - Jermain Defoe - will certainly be departing the only club anywhere that would have paid him such a wage on a secure, four-year deal. Now we could write a whole piece (and likely will) on the descent into petulance and conveniently "nagging injuries" (somehow to be cured right around January 2015) that have marked Defoe's season, but not now. The point of this piece is the overly-celebrated core group for 2015 and Jermain Defoe will be nothing but a regretted personalized souvenir jersey by next season.

Worse news, to many a supporter, is the sudden doubt as to whether or not the other DP striker - the affable Brazilian Gilberto - will be a part of TFC 2015. While Gil struggled to find his scoring touch early in the season, his work rate and engaging personality endeared him to fans. When he started to score, his star briefly shone brighter than his lady-aficionado strike colleague. Unfortunately, a quiet last third of the season and some vaguely explained absences from the line-up have morphed into whispers of a player who has his heart set on playing elsewhere. While it is heavy on speculation - smoke and fire are often close bedfellows at BMO Field.

Whatever the reason for their possible departures and whatever feeling amongst supporters is left in their wake, there is a much bigger problem for TFC than the bad PR it will create. Defoe and Gilberto account for 18 of TFC's league goals. With the entirely unspectacular Luke Moore third on the goalscorer's list with only 6 goals, it is an area where TFC could suddenly find itself with absolutely no one in the way of any kind of core performer. Replacing a massive percentage of the club's goals would be an emergency priority on critical levels and one this club is not prepared for in regards to depth or development.

So, like the proverbial candy, we have sucked our way down to the middle and are left with a bit of a tasteless lump in our mouth. A core group? Vaguely. There are pieces there that you would certainly retain and move forward with into 2015. We have to ask though - how many pieces would you take beyond that?

We have heard many grand statements as previous seasons wound down towards previously unsatisfying conclusions at BMO Field. The current claim that the core here is some kind of tremendously solid group is admittedly going in one ear and out the other. Despite Greg Vanney’s self-help guru media scrum's best efforts, it is hard to be too optimistic about a "core group" until all of the drama that is set to unfold at TFC comes out in the wash. To declare with utter confidence that the current foundation is strong because of three DP's, some youthful potential and an aging captain is about as fragile a claim as the foundation itself.

Toronto and Montreal. Rivals in so many things. Language, culture, business, terrible mayors, Prime Minister-themed airports and who Upstate New York wants to take to the prom. No list of inter-city rivalries of course would be complete without sporting interests. Whether it is real football, Canadian American football or ice football, these two great cities love to battle it out. TFC and Montreal Impact have a nice little head-to-tête going on and the clubs' fans are travelling in greater numbers. On Saturday, BMO Field hosted its largest ever group of MLS away supporters and when that many of our swarthy, brooding cousins from Quebec stop by, it has advantages...

11. Stadium's "No Smoking" rules completely out the window for one afternoon

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

The long-shot prospect of Toronto FC making the 2014 MLS playoffs represents one glorious opportunity for those that control this club from up high. No, it is not to reward the most beaten-down of all MLS supporters - it is justification.

Already, many fans have come to loathe the four-week "must-win" campaign that has devolved into the "we're still mathematically possible" reality we have today but as annoying as the internal club promotion may be - TFC is still in with a tiny chance. The best-case playoff scenario would see The Reds flail backwards into the fifth spot in the East and a shot in the wildcard "play-in" match. The question is: should we want them to?

The refrain that "anything is possible once you're in the playoffs" isn't completely hollow. There have been a few instances in the past where an unlikely club battles their way deep into the semi-finals or even finals but these are mostly the exception to the rule. For the most part, the cream rises to the top and it would be hard to find too many TFC supporters who would put their money on the line to back the locals in a one-match do-or-die, away to either New York or Sporting KC.

"But why would that be bad?" you may ask. "Don't we deserve a crumb of the post-season?" Yes. We all do… but the problem comes afterwards. The problem becomes how ownership may use that potential future and the most likely answer is again: justification.

Tim Leiweke & Co. made bold statements that the playoffs were the goal this year. No asterisks involved. Nothing about how far in the playoffs they would travel - just the playoffs. TFC's eight-year Valhalla realized. It is not difficult to imagine TFC squeaking into that wildcard match and - even if they re-produce an effort not unlike Saturday night's miserable display at Red Bull Arena - being trumpeted as a successful completion of the stated pre-season goal. Your first-ever post-season TFC! "We gave you what we promised! Now we need to talk..."

A mere appearance in the league's post-season will give MLSE the ammunition to go forward in two ways. On a team level, the so-far greatly underwhelming Greg Vanney and his inexperienced staff who lead a squad rife with imbalance and shallow depth may no longer seem to require an urgent fix. “Surely if this young(ish) squad made fifth this season then better can be achieved with the experience and a transfer window that Vanney has gained” will be the likely refrain. The cracks, and there are more than we'd like to believe, will not necessarily receive the care they require this off-season. However, the real justification that MLSE seeks from a post-season appearance may be more personal to you, the supporter.

After rolling back season ticket prices to 2007 levels and having to then freeze those prices, the owners must be bursting at the seams to put things right in their eyes. Giving you the absolute bare minimum on the pitch so they can squeeze the bare maximum out of your wallet is the trophy that they seek most. On a raft of promotions and slow motion videos of The Reds "historic post season march", your 2015 tickets will undoubtedly reflect this grand "achievement". Leiweke has told fans in the past that they would not ask for a raise until they did what they said they'd do. No matter how brief an appearance - this would be trotted out as proof.

Seeing The Reds in the post-season is nearly a decade-long wish for all supporters. The sweet, unknown experience of the playoffs is such a tempting prospect that it is easy to say we will worry about the future when it happens. Unfortunately that will most likely all happen very quickly. This club is not currently built for a run at the Cup. Does the potential of 90 extra minutes resembling this past Saturday suit the expected reward the club will ask of you in return?

Despite "how close" the current manager likes to tell us this club is to succeeding, it is increasingly difficult to see this. TFC, as is, can't compete on a consistent basis with the better clubs in this league. Without an off-season where the club's feet are held to the fire because of their failures this year, this potential playoff blip could simply usher in another long barren spell.

This club is not yet good enough. There are holes now and more to open up over winter with the imminent departures. Having the club emboldened by the absolute minimum modicum of success - and raising prices to watch it in 2015 - could be a far worse long-term hindrance than missing the playoffs again this year.

Yes, anything can happen in the playoffs. The reality points to TFC's possible appearance producing little more of the same on the pitch followed by an off-season of indifference, reinforced by the corporate jewel of being a "playoff team". Any TFC fan can be forgiven for not caring about that right now just to get a taste of what we have deserved for so long. However, is this incarnation of TFC, one which would be justified in its own mind to pursue the status quo albeit at a much higher expense to you, worth 90 more minutes of your time?

Monday, October 13, 2014

It's that most wonderful time of the year again when Canadians celebrate getting a draw against Turkey in the Great Pumpkin War. Never forget the nutmeg we lost in Istanbul. On this most solemn of days, it is right to give thanks for the things we often take for granted. This "GivingThanksDay" (what a great name for a holiday - we should TM that) is one not overlooked by the players and staff at TFC who are individually giving thanks for:

11. BRIGHT DIKE: the fact he still exists despite TFC's best efforts to disguise his whereabouts

10. JASON BENT: Immortality

9. MARK BLOOM: Coupons from No Frills

8. DANIEL LOVITZ: Shallow depth charts

7. WARREN CREAVALLE: A barber who remembers what Big Daddy Kane looks like

6. BRADLEY ORR: 360 days without headbutting someone

5. JACKSON: 357 days without headbutting someone

4. MICHAEL BRADLEY: The giant pile of money that makes him temporarily forget he was playing for Roma one year ago

3. GREG VANNEY: Making Tim Bezbatchenko believe using the word "interim" was for wimps

2. JERMAIN DEFOE: The generous volume of daily flights from Toronto to London

1. DWAYNE DE ROSARIO: Having one last chance to remind himself why he left this club in the first place

- This will be the final fixture between New York and Toronto this season (barring playoffs - snort) thus robbing local Toronto fans a reason to wear Thierry Henry kits to TFC matches like that's ok

- Security has been heightened as usual for a night fixture in Harrison, New Jersey as autumn is the natural feeding time for the local C.H.U.D. population

- "Bradley Wright-Phillips is twice as valuable as Jermain Defoe" is a sentence no English columnist ever thought they would have to ponder

- Corporate sponsor Red Bull has made noises about pulling their ownership of the New York club with the names Sexinthe City FC, I'm Walkin' Heerenveen and New York Cosmos Kramer leading in a re-branding competition

- To celebrate Columbus Day weekend, New York Red Bulls plan to "discover" that Toronto FC aren't really very good

TORONTO FC

- To prove that they are a much better club than the one that lost that infamous 5-0 match at Giants Stadium, TFC have vowed not to lose by more than four goals on Saturday

- Next year, Toronto FC will have two separate trips to New York City with the incoming NYCFC added to the schedule. TFC is seriously looking at signing Jesse Barfield to help address the challenges of playing at Yankee Stadium

- The terms "must win" and "momentum" have officially been replaced at TFC by the terms "mathematically possible" and "still in it"

- Despite rumours, Sam Cronin was not offered to TFC on-loan for one match in order to explain the team’s woes post-match

- To celebrate Thanksgiving Day weekend, Toronto FC plan to thank heavens that this season is nearly over

To be fair, Vanney made the best substitutions at his disposal (not a compliment to the depth) at the right times. Could have been a little earlier, perhaps, but not going to fault him.

The side played like the shittiest games of Simon where everyone tonight couldn't remember the 4th note in the sequence. Pass, pass, screw-up. Houston were not that good, but Toronto were moreso worse. The first half was bad. The second half was a cavalcade of oh-so-close moments, shortly followed by swearing at someone (read: rather watchable). Good saves, tragic deflections, smacking the woodwork a few times, howler misses; this had it all, complete with the TFC trademark wrapping of mediocrity.

If we have seen the last of Gilberto, then I am genuinely sad to see him go. He's been a workhorse, passionate, and the kind of player any club could adore. Not that this blog has a vote in who stays and who goes (we'd be champions by now!) but he will be missed more than any other bloody big signing Toronto has seen. His absence was alarming, as he was good to go as of the day before and he'd have bagged two (of course, why wouldn't he).

@ignirtoq apologizes for the brevity of the report, but it was too drizzly to write any notes and it's late and it's a school night and he has to go to bed.

- "A problem": The last two words of most sad TFC supporter jokes if Dynamo go up by a goal

- "?": The official club line on the status of Bright Dike

- MLSE isn't too concerned with any possible adverse supporter reaction to a loss on Wednesday. Instead, angry fans will be invited to pick up a sledgehammer and take it to BMO Field's East Stand to vent frustrations - and save MLSE hundreds in demolition costs.

- "Witch's Tit": The accurate temperature forecast for a midweek evening fixture at BMO Field in October

HOUSTON DYNAMO

"Open": The position most likely to find Brad Davis in vs. Toronto

- "Irony": The grammatical tool used when using the word "dynamic" in relation to either of these two clubs

- With a loss, Dynamo face elimination from the MLS Playoffs. With electrocution, Dynamo faced elimination from The Running Man.

- Houston GK Tally Hall has once again won the prestigious "MLS Player That Most Sounds Like a Wealthy Country Club Billionaire Award"

Monday, October 6, 2014

He's back! Our l'il lord and saviour Jermain Defoe has returned from the nightmarish hell that was re-habbing a devastatingly injured groin... or something. Whatever. With Canada's apparent Third World medical facilities, Defoe has spent much of the summer back in England doing his best to prepare for a playoff push and #goals... or something. Whatever. Either way, the bloody big deal himself has prodigal-returned to Toronto where he will be happy to luxuriate in the many pleasures he missed while away...

11. Coming home to any of his three houses

10. Playing FIFA15 on his giant screen TV - transferring himself to all of the Premier League clubs

9. Catching up on the hilarious sitcom "The 2014 Toronto Mayoral Election"

8. The generous days off

7. Toronto's thriving multicultural lady community

6. Late-night Skype sessions with Harry Redknapp

5. The top-notch service of his butler Mark Bloom

4. Queen's Park

3. The fine staff in the British Airways First Class Departure Lounge at Pearson International

2. Cozy Scrabble nights at Drake's place

1. How spring turns to summer; summer turns to autumn; and autumn turn into the January Transfer Window

Sunday, October 5, 2014

I've been away on vacation but I've kept up with the trials and games of the Toronto "Football" "Club" (good thing the stadium is where it is). That Portland thing sounded crazy. And I did watch the Houston match at 2:00am in London (mostly because I snore really loud and the wife hadn't slept yet so I got up so she could sleep... where was I going with this...). I was spoiled with some exciting footy and the English Championship is still more exciting than MLS. My London ECL (English Championship League), Brentford, was awesome, even in a loss. Great fun. Recommend a visit to Ealing before the demo Griffin Park. And visit the 4 pubs at each corner of the ground!

This is a streak isn't it? I mean, it isn't the most ideal streak, but they've earned 7 from a possible 9 points over the last three games. Doom, gloom, blah blah blah... I know. It's played out. Toronto is only a few bad results away from maintaining the status quo. I think they can make the playoffs! Who's with me? Guys?... guys...

Whatever, Defoe is healthy and will cause a headache for the Los Angeles back four...

Ummm... OK. That was anti-climactic with the whole superstar drama. Certainly he'd be good for the bench?

Anyways, Los Angeles is crushing everything. Their last loss was a month and a half ago. So Toronto needs everyone to keep their shit together for 90+ minutes. That's plausible enough but is it likely? I have $2 that's telling me 'oh yeah it is'. We'll see.

On to the match...

12' - Juninho has a go from 20 yards out that loops over everyone and catches Bendik out a little too far, but the crossbar bails him out.

Ref Rating : 5 out of 5. I know. But nothing really happened. Screw it, 3 out of 5 just for the PTSD he's caused.

In Case You PVR'd it : Fast forward to the 20th minute, watch until the end of the half then skip to injury time and you're good.

It's times like this, I feel that Gilberto won't be back. I'm sure he'll be amazing in DC when he'll kill us repeatedly next season... Also, thanks MLS Live for the privilege to watch the paid for stream via a VPN. Glad the decision to give you money was a poor one... When Morrow came off, the first instinct was to check the game stats feed to find out when he was substituted on, but the line-up tweet staggered me to find out he'd been playing all along... this Wild Beer company Indigo Child stout I bought in Bath is really sour and nasty. If you see this and you're curious, just get anything else. If you're really curious, get something you might like then add a shot of vinegar to it... It was such a strong PRO-LINE ticket. Man City won, Liverpool won. How could Toronto losing go so wrong *eye roll*... That Vocal Minority Podcast has been decent the last few weeks. I feel there's going to be rating spike next week as the principle writer of these match reports will be returning... The biggest difference noticed between the three matches I took in on my vacation and every TFC match was that the crowd was watching the match from start to finish and nobody was straggling late getting 2 overpriced beers or filling their instagram accounts. Will miss that the most.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Listen, every match is a "must-win" for TFC in October but no matter what happens on Saturday night/Sunday morning, The Reds will still be in the playoff chase on Monday. With that, we stop worrying about this potentially ugly fixture and instead thank the retiring LA Galaxy superstar Landon Donovan. No, not for the years of great service to MLS - but for this - our very favourite picture of any North American soccer star. God speed Landon... keep erotically sipping for the stars.

Who are we?

The Yorkies are a collective of Toronto FC supporters and season ticket holders since day one. Our sole purpose is furthering our beloved club's fervent support with a movement of like-minded fans who want to speak with an independent voice. Our core belief is that supporters should always be able to voice their opinions about the state of the club free from outside influence or compromise. We will always aim to do that while having a laugh at the same time. Have opinion, have passion and support. Be a Yorkie too.